Patience order of the day in W.Va.

January 10, 2014

Critics have called Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin's State of the State address Wednesday short on substance, focusing primarily on some of the state's accomplishments in the last year, with only a few goals proposed for this year's legislative session.

We're not sure that's a bad thing for West Virginia this year, as the state faces financial concerns forcing the need to make millions of dollars in cuts to the budget as well as dip into the state's rainy day fund to help meet several known costs.

West Virginia has accomplished much in recent years and has managed to stay financially solvent in a time when other states found themselves in positions of crisis.

We knew it couldn't always be this way, so perhaps taking things slowly and carefully is the best for the next year as we wade through this time of uncertainty.

Tomblin did, however, suggest several ideas which could lay the groundwork for a better future in the Mountain State, and we hope they will be considered by the Legislature at some point in the next two months.

Notable proposals from the governor include the possibilities of a raise for teachers and state employees, a greater focus on science and math in the state's schools, improvements to infrastructure in all regions of the state and continuing the fight against drug abuse.

These are all deserving of attention, as long as the state can provide the funding to support them.